Hays County authorities identity flood victim, recover child’s body

Authorities have identified the body of the man found in northern San Marcos Sunday afternoon and have recovered the body of a child from the Blanco River in rural Hays County.

Dayton Larry Thomas, 74, was identified Wednesday by Central Texas Autopsy using medical records made available to them. With the identification of Thomas, the number of people from Hays County officially listed as missing has fallen to eight.

Recovery crews also found the body of a male child on the banks of the Blanco River near Water Park Road in rural Hays County. Local authorities are not able to identify the child or determine the age, and are sending the body to Central Texas Autopsy for identification.

Hays County officials cannot yet determine whether the boy is someone on the county’s list of missing flood victims or is another victim who has thus far gone unreported.

Texas Task Force 1 continues its coordination of search efforts. Multiple agencies are contributing staffing and resources to the mission. Search efforts will continue in Hays County through the night